𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 (𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧)

|𝟎𝟎𝟑.|

The worst fear that exists is, to see your own child suffer. As a mother, you wish that you could take all the pain away from your child and carry it for yourself. You would do anything just to make them smile again.

We entered Axel's room and I turned on his light. I sat him down on his little chair and turned around to the medicine shelf at the top of his bookshelf.

I grabbed the essentials and gave them to him. ''He is your water,'' I handed him his bottle of water and he chugged on it. I clapped my hands together and smiled at him.

''Now, let's go and sleep,'' I tickled him. He stood up from his chair and ran to his bed while I ran after him.

I continued tickling him even after we got into his bed. ''Can you tell me a bedtime story?'' he snuggled himself closer to me and wrapped his little arm around my neck.

I looked at his green eyes and saw Alec in them.

''Well, I have a story,'' I leaned down and kissed his forehead.

''One day a young fisherman accidentally caught a mermaid in his net. Legends say if you catch a mermaid, she must grant a wish if you let her go,'' I pocked Axel's nose and he giggled.

"I wish the girl I like would love me forever," he said.

"Why do you like her?" asked the mermaid.

"Because she is the prettiest girl in the land."

''The mermaid thought for a while and handed the boy a magical ring,'' I said while holding up my ring.

"Give this ring to the girl you want to spend the rest of your life with," she said, "but you must wait one full year from today before it will work."

''The boy took the ring, and on his way home, he passed a homeless girl,'' Axel took my ring and slid it onto his finger which was too small for my ring.

"Please, sir," she said, "Can you spare something to eat? I will work for you in return."

''The boy didn't have much, but he agreed to share his food with the girl if she helped him put away his nets. They shared his food, and the girl left while the boy crawled into bed and dreamed of his love,'' I said.

''Every day for a month, the girl would help him with the nets, and he would share his food. Then one day, she was not there. The boy was worried, went to look for her, and found her asleep in his fishing shed,'' I said.

''The boy was ashamed that he never thought about where the girl would sleep. He woke her up, let her sleep by his fire, and then added a room to his home for her.'' I told Axel.

"You can sleep here for the next 11 months," he told her. "But then my wife will move in, and you will have to leave."

''The next day, the girl was not waiting to help with his nets, and he was angry,'' I said in a deep tone which made Axel giggle slightly.

"I gave her food and a room," he said, "and this is how she repays me?"

''He dropped the nets and burst angrily through his front door,'' I wrinkled my brows angrily.

''The boy couldn't believe his eyes. His little home had never been so clean. His bed was washed and made, there was a pile of chopped wood by the fire, and a pot of stew waited for him on the fire,'' I said with widened eyes. Axel smiled widely.

''Again, the boy felt ashamed. The girl had worked hard all day and made his home more lovely than he ever had,'' I said.

''They ate together, and the girl left for her room while the boy crawled into his clean bed and dreamed of his love,'' I continued.